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Jamaica's Health Minister, Chris Tufton, announced this Sunday that more than 50 Cuban nurses will join the country's public health system through individual contracts, a formula that replaces the state agreement with Havana that was canceled just four months ago due to allegations regarding the working conditions of the professionals sent from Cuba.
The announcement, made during an interview with Radio Jamaica and covered by Caribbean National Weekly , addresses the growing shortage of nursing staff that the Caribbean island is facing due to the emigration of healthcare workers, retirements, increased demand for care, and challenges in filling vacant positions.
Unlike the previous medical cooperation program, nurses will be directly hired by the Jamaican authorities in accordance with the country's labor legislation, without the involvement of the Cuban state.
That change aims to correct the irregularities that led the Jamaican government to terminate, in March 2026, the bilateral agreement that both nations had maintained since 1976.
According to the authorities, the previous agreement allowed the salaries of professionals to be transferred to the Cuban government, while many workers had no control over their own passports, a practice that has also been criticized by the United States, which views Cuban medical missions as a form of forced labor.
After the cancellation of the agreement, Cuba withdrew a brigade of 277 healthcare professionals from Jamaica, although about 40 nurses remained in the country.
The new system has already begun to be implemented. More than 40 Cuban professionals chose to remain in Jamaica following the termination of the agreement and signed individual contracts with local authorities. Some, after five or more years of residence in the country, have even begun the process to obtain permanent residency.
In May, Tufton explained that the Government had sent letters to Cuban professionals to offer them the opportunity to continue working in Jamaica under that new scheme.
"If they were interested, we would be willing to reach out to them again based on their own interests, but on the basis of individual contracts," he stated.
Failed negotiations with Havana
The Jamaican Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously reported that it submitted proposals to renegotiate the agreement with Cuba in July, October, and December 2025, but stated that it never received a substantial response from Havana.
The Cuban government, for its part, attributed the cancellation of the program to pressures exerted by Washington and accused Jamaica of yielding to U.S. policy regarding international medical missions.
In addition to reintegrating Cuban professionals, Jamaica has expanded its recruitment strategy to reduce reliance on a single country.
Health authorities have conducted interviews with candidates from Ghana and the Jamaican diaspora, in addition to signing memoranda of understanding with Nigeria and India.
Tufton also announced that a technical delegation from the Philippines will visit Jamaica next month to move forward on a potential cooperation agreement regarding healthcare personnel.
With this new model, the Jamaican government seeks to strengthen its healthcare system by continuing to hire Cuban professionals, but under a framework that ensures direct payment of salaries and respect for the labor rights of workers.
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